ambient

American  

[am-bee-uhnt] / ˈæm bi ənt /

adjective

1. of the surrounding area or environment: The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.

   Your voice mail picked up some ambient noise from airplanes and lawn mowers.

   The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.

2. completely surrounding; enveloping.

   Many pollutants are present in ambient air in relatively low concentrations.

3. creating a certain reaction or mood, often a subconscious one, by being wherever people tend to be.

   ambient advertising on a shopping cart.

4. pertaining to or noting sounds that create a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

   I stream ambient ocean sounds to help me fall asleep.

5. pertaining to or noting close and constant social contact and communication fostered by the internet or the use of digital devices.

   social media sites that enable ambient intimacy and awareness.

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noun

1. ambient music.

ambient British  

/ ˈæmbɪənt /

adjective

1. of or relating to the immediate surroundings

   the ambient temperature was 15°C

2. creating a relaxing atmosphere

   ambient music

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noun

1. informal ambient music

Other Word Forms

• unambient
  adjective
• unambiently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of ambient

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ambient- (stem of ambiēns, present participle of ambīre “to go around”), equivalent to amb- ambi- + -i- “go” + -ent- -ent

Explanation

Ambient is an adjective used to describe an aspect of the environment that completely surrounds you, but in a mellow way, like ambient music played softly throughout a restaurant, or the ambient orange glow during a setting sun. Ambient describes some pervasive quality of the surrounding environment, like the ambient lighting in a movie theater, or the ambient temperature of a room. Most times when you’re hearing silence, you’re hearing some ambient noises too, like the hum of a refrigerator or the whistle of a breeze. Usually ambient describes a quiet or peaceful quality, but it can be aggressive too, like the ambient drone of war planes flying above that you can hear no matter where you hide.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ambient

The eerie ambient music that drives “Obsession” — so artfully serrated and delicately mangled by Burwell — emerged from a counterintuitive creative nuance that AI could never capture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

There was something calming and oceanic about the rhythm of rolls and cracks around her, blending with the ambient murmur of banter and gossip into white noise.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

"The way the fridges work is to cool everything down and expel the hot air," which normally works well in the ambient air in the UK.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Adjust your electronics and water heater: Turn off computers, TVs and lights when not in use to eliminate ambient heat.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

In general, the microbiology experiments were not carried out at the low ambient Martian temperatures, and most did not provide long incubation times.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• atmosphere
• environment
• feeling
• mood
• surroundings
• trend